By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has called for stronger legislative ties between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, proposing increased exchange programmes and collaboration between the two countries’ parliaments.
Akpabio made the call on Wednesday when the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Peter Vowles, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.
He said Nigeria and the UK shared longstanding historical, economic and trade relations that should be sustained and strengthened, particularly through legislative cooperation and the exchange of knowledge.
“The history of Nigeria will not be complete without the United Kingdom. For us in Nigeria, London is like a second home,” Akpabio said.
He added, “This permeates into the economic sphere and trade, and we would like to deepen the relationship in the area of legislation because we have a lot to learn from you.”
The Senate President commended King Charles III for the hospitality extended to President Bola Tinubu and his entourage during the Nigerian leader’s recent state visit to the UK.
He said the British monarch recognised Nigeria’s importance not only in terms of its population but also its strategic role in Africa’s economic development and security.
“The King was very nice to us. He recognises till today the importance of Nigeria, not just in terms of population but the strategic importance of Nigeria to the economy and security of the entire Africa. The ties between Nigeria and the UK must be sustained,” he said.
Akpabio noted that lawmakers from the UK House of Commons occasionally visited Nigeria to observe parliamentary proceedings, while Nigerian legislative committees had also visited the British House of Lords and House of Commons.
He called for more structured exchanges to strengthen institutional relations and improve legislative practices in both countries.
“We want to deepen our relationship. We want to be able to have a lot of exchange programmes that will enable us to learn more and expand the relationship between the Nigerian Parliament as a whole and the United Kingdom in the area of legislation,” he said.
Akpabio also urged British investors to explore opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and mining sectors, assuring them of the potential for profitable investments.
“As you are here now, you will take the message back to your investors in the UK that this is a country that even if you sell sand, you will make profit,” he said.
He added that the government had made the investment climate more favourable, citing improvements in the ease of doing business and the ability of investors to repatriate their funds.
Earlier, Vowles said he visited to convey his warm regards to the leadership of the Nigerian Parliament and reaffirm the breadth and depth of relations between both countries.
He said the British government was committed to strengthening the partnership and building on the progress already made.
“The instruction from my government is to find a way to continue to deepen that relationship. We believe that we have made a very important stride together. We want to continue to drive that further together,” the envoy said.
Vowles added that the UK maintained a longstanding relationship with both chambers of Nigeria’s National Assembly and would continue to support areas where Nigeria required British assistance and partnership.
“We have a longstanding relationship with the National Assembly, both houses. We will continue to partner with you where you require UK support and partnership,” he said.
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